U.S. employers call for changes in Ireland's educational system

The American Chamber of Commerce Ireland (AMCHAM) has called for an overhaul in Ireland's educational system.

The leaving Certificate is Ireland's equivalent of the SAT test. U.S. employers are calling on the Irish government to introduce a problem solving paper or reward students with more points if they show they have great problem solving ability

AMCHAM represents all major US employers in Ireland and believes that problem solving skills encourage creativity and innovation in the economy.

AMCHAM has said that the Leaving Certificate focuses too much on rote learning and believes that it does not reflect the full ability of students.

The organization has proposed a change in Ireland's Leaving Certificate and the proposals are currently being reviewed by The Department of Education.

There are currently 200,000 jobs relying indirectly on investment from U.S. companies in Ireland.

AMCHAM is gravely concerned at the level of quality graduates in science and engineering in Ireland.

AMCHAM believes that research and development is the future of the Irish economy. The organization believes that there is a need "to inherently nurture creativity and innovation from an early stage to excite and engage our second-level students towards pursuing a career in these disciplines".

Research has shown that poor problem solving ability has led to Irish students performing badly at Mathematics.

Minister for Education Batt O'Keffe is hoping that a new "hands on" math curriculum will improve problem-solving skills in Irish students.